Hamilton Pool, Friday August 23rd

Day before the wedding Megan and Eric wanted to do some site seeing and off we went.

Hamilton Pool is located between San Antonio and Austin... We had a rehearsal dinner at 5 PM so we were limited on our time .
We arrived to find a line of cars waiting. There are only about 50 parking spaces and you wait for one car to leave before you can enter. The park guide told us it was a .25 mile walk down to the pool then back and the trail was pretty rough.
We waited and stared the trek. It is a unique spot but bring sturdy shoes and water to drink.
We made it in time for the rehearsal dinner... 

The preserve is home to the Golden-Cheeked Warbler, and a great variety of other birds. The diverse vegetation of Hamilton Pool ranges from semi-arid species in the uplands to riparian species in the canyon. The uplands of the preserve are a juniper and oak savanna with a variety of native grasses and wildflowers. Several rare plant species including canyon mock-orange, red bay (western-most colony of this eastern species), and chatter box orchid are known to occur in the canyon areas along Hamilton Creek.

A unique natural area surrounds this pool, collapsed grotto and canyon, formed by thousands of years of water erosion. Lush plant communities, a variety of wildlife species and natural shelter attracted the area's first inhabitants. Cultural remains date back over 8,000 years.

Hamilton Pool Preserve is a historic swimming hole which was designated a preserve by the Travis County Commissioner's Court in 1990. Located 3/4 mile upstream from its confluence with the Pedernales River, Hamilton Creek spills out over limestone outcroppings to create a 50 foot waterfall as it plunges into the head of a steep box canyon. The waterfall never completely dries up, but in dry times it does slow to a trickle. However, the pool's water level stays pretty constant, even during periods of drought.